


Herd Killer and Dianite

by GreenBread



Category: The Walking Dead (Telltale Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Gen, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide Attempt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-07
Updated: 2020-08-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:35:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25759690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GreenBread/pseuds/GreenBread
Summary: There was one thing Dianite wanted more than anything. A family. But when the dead start walking the Earth he finds that his dream of ever having one has been ripped away by the cruel hands of life.Maybe helping Lee take care of a little girl could help him rip it right back.
Relationships: Clementine (Walking Dead) & Original Male Character(s)
Kudos: 4





	Herd Killer and Dianite

**Author's Note:**

> This is an adaption/rewrite of a pre-existing fic over at r/TheWalkingDeadGame. I am making this with the original author's (u/NazbazOG) permission and supervision. He is aware of this fics existence and is even posting it on r/TheWalkingDeadGame.

The room at the motor inn was small, containing only two uncomfortable beds. Seeps of chill blue moonlight crept in through the lazily shut blinds. Dianite sighed, staring at his reflection in the dark of the television screen. His raven black hair had gotten longer in recent weeks, tucking messily behind his ears. Dark as coal eyes glinted back at him. One of the only traits he had passed down from his deadbeat dad. The frozen and menacing stare, unwavering even against the toughest of adversaries. He couldn't remember the last time he cried.

He just wished he got his father's height though. At least he wouldn't be the smallest out of all his friends. He grinned to himself. It wasn't all bad though. He was faster than all of them. If he was being honest, one of his biggest strength wasn't all the exercise he does, no. Though that certainly did help. It was his speed. Something he could use to end a fight quickly. His build was well suited for that. Muscular and lean, but not too big. He wasn't going to roid up and look like The Rock.

Grunting, he brushed a hand down his lightly tanned face. He was tired but he was worried about his mother. His gaze softened as he analysed his mother's untidy appearance. Her usual brown hair was covering her emerald eyes, hiding them from the world.

He could still remember her rushing in through the door, tear tracks charging down her cheeks, running away from her puffy red eyes. Her skin was pale, nearing on grey. She looked dead and she was panicking about something. But that wasn't what got his attention, no. It was the teeth marks and bloodstain on her waist, soaking through the white fabric of her shirt. The ways her breath hitched and hilted at every little movement. He had asked her about it but she dismissed him entirely, opting to instead collapse on the hard bed. The mattress felt like lying on rocks.

Nevertheless, she had fallen asleep instantly. He put it down to the long workday but she was progressively getting worse. Her breathing had gone rugged. Crawling out her mouth in slow and uneven wheezes. A cold tingle darted down his spine. Something was wrong. His mother had stopped breathing.

"Fuck... Fuck... This isn't good." He muttered, shooting up and bolting over to her side. A low groan escaped the dead woman's mouth, "M-Mom?"

He screamed as she jumped at him, pouncing on him and knocking them to the ground. Her hands flew through the air, scratching at his face and her jaw snapped at him. He stared into her lifeless, sunken eyes. The green was gone. White had taken its place.

Whatever it was, it wasn't his mother in there anymore. It was a beast, hungry and wild. Untameable. He pushed his arm under her neck, saliva drooling from her mouth and down the hem of his navy blue shirt. He cringed in disgust and pushed his mom off him. Watching as she staggered back and fell over. Dianite crawled backwards, his hand searching the ground for something he could use. A weapon, anything.

His eyes widened as they landed on the cool rubber grip of his mom's pistol. He didn't want to use it. He was a horrible shot. Nonetheless, he picked the gun up and held it shakily, pointing the barrel at what used to be his mom.

"P-Please..." He begged, "Don't make me- I-I don't want to... Please, mom!"

His mother didn't listen and continued crawling, pulling herself along the floor. Groaning and screaming. His breathing shuddered and he scrunched his eyes shut. Finally, he pulled the trigger.

The gun let out a deafening bang and the barrel smoked. His mom stopped moving. A bullet hole sat in between her eyes, hot blood oozing and staining the floor, He stared, gaze empty and mouth open. He hiccuped and a sob shook through his body. Terrified, he slid the pistol away from him and scampered away, back pressed against the wall.

His mind was hazy and everything was blank. He didn't know what to feel. His mother may not have been the best but...

It was still his mom. His breathing quickened as what he had just done settled in like a storm. Warm rivers of panic surged through his veins, coiling around his throat. He choked as tears burst from his eyes, strangled sobs wracked his body as he cried. Hurridly, he wiped pathetically at his eyes.

A knock on the locked door startled him and his neck snapped up. His eyes were bloodshot, raw from all the rubbing.

"Hello...?" A male voice called out. His tone didn't indicate any danger but still, Dianite didn't trust him.

"D'you think they killed themselves?" Another voice said.

"Jesus, Glenn!" A female voice pretty much shrieked, "You hear a gunshot and that's where your mind goes!"

Glenn, as Dianite just learned, whisper shouted back, "Well I don't know! Am I supposed to think that they shot nothing!"

"It was my mom," Dianite spoke suddenly. Surprising even himself. "I-I shot my mom..."

Silence.

"J-Just go... Leave me alone..." He could feel the tears building at the back of his eyes once again, threatening to spill like a waterfall.

He heard shuffling, "Was-Was she one of them?"

"The fuck? What do you mean by 'them'? She was my mom for fucksakes not some member of a fucking cult!"

"The dead," The male voice said, ignoring him entirely, "Was she one of the dead?"

He glared at the door, "No! If she was dead she wouldn't have attacked me!"

"You don't know?" Glenn questioned.

Silence once again swirled around the room. It was strangling. How was he supposed to answer that?

"The name's Lee, you?"

"D-Dianite."

"Right..." Lee responded, "Dianite... Can you open up? We need to talk."

"About...?" He edged.

Lee sighed, "A lot. Too much to explain through a locked door."

Dianite sighed into his hands. He was conflicted. On one hand, he didn't trust them. Not in the slightest. On the other hand, what choice did he have? Mustering up strength, he stood onto his shaky legs. He trudged across the room, stepping carefully over his mother's corpse. The room too small to scurry around it. He darted his black orbs away from it. He thought dead people were meant to look peaceful. Not angry and hate-filled. He glared at the lone pistol like it was venom. A forbidden weapon that if he touched he would get cursed.

He didn't want to be near it. He was scared of it.

Slowly, he wrapped his fingers around the doorknob and unlocked it. He twisted the handle and the door flung open. One woman and two men were stood there. His gaze fell to the pistol at the woman's side as he left the room and stood on the wooden balcony of the Motor Inn. He noticed as the man he assumed was Lee try to subtly peer around him and look into the apartment.

"So..." He started, finding his voice, "Out with it. What the fuck is going on?"

Lee answered, "To tell you the truth, we don't know. All we do know is that dead people are now walking around. One bite and that's it. You join them."

"A-And the military? The government? What are they doing about it?" He stammered out.

Glenn shoved his hands in his pockets, "Look around," He said nonchalantly, "Does it look like they're doing anything?"

Dianite did so, he looked at everything. The muddied sea of clouds filling the sky. The dead bodies outside and the neat holes in their heads. The smell was atrocious. He pointed, "What happened to them?"

"We killed them," The woman held out her hand, "I'm Carley by the way."

He took her hand and shook it halfheartedly. Carley acknowledged his solemn mood and tried to offer a small, yet comforting smile. Dianite sent it straight back but it faded not even a moment later. He couldn't even begin trying to fake happiness.

"We have a group," Lee began, "You're welcome to join us."

Glenn turned to lee, eyes wide, "Are you sure Lee? I mean, Lilly was already hostile enough with you, Kenny, Katjaa and the kids. You sure she'd be fine with more?"

Lee shrugged, "Well I'm sure as shit not letting a kid go out on his own out here," Lee raised a brow, "Want to join us?"

Dianite looked past the man's shoulder and into the valley of trees. He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, "Fine... I've got nothing better to do."

The man grinned, it was easy and outgoing, "Great!" He turned to look at the pizza delivery boy, "We can use your car, right Glenn?"

"Uhhh..." Glenn rubbed the back of his neck, "Yeah, sure. No problem. I'll go get the engine started."

"I'll go with you," Carley assured, "It's safer that way. That gunshot was really loud."

Glenn nodded and the two walked away. Dianite watched as their heads disappeared down the stairs. He sighed for what felt like the millionth time that night and rested his elbows on the railing, watching as Carley and Glenn walked to the car. It was a small blue sedan with a cracked headlight. A dent was embedded in one of the doors.

Dianite snorted. How'd you let a car get to that condition?

Lee joined him in overlooking them, leaning his body over the railing too.

"How are you holdin' up?" He asked. Not looking at him.

Dianite hid his face, "I-I don't know, man. Lost?" He looked at Lee, "I'm confused as to how everything could become a shitstorm so quickly."

Lee stayed silent, watching as he spoke his thoughts. His eyes held nothing but warmth and understanding. As if he had already had this conversation before.

"Because I mean... The dead deciding now of all times to ride? It's the fucking second of August for crying out loud."

"And about your mom?"

He took a deep breath, "S'not important,"

Lee coffee brown pools softened and he stood up straight. Dianite felt his big meaty paws land on his shoulders, comforting and firm, "Look, man, if you don't want to talk about it, I get it. There's a lot I hide too but if you ever need a shoulder to cry on..."

"Yeah," He bit, annoyed at Lee's attempt to console him, " _If."_

A loud beep erupted from the car, making Lee flinch. He frowned, "I guess they want to bring a herd down on us. We should get goin' before more come."

"And-And the gun?"

Lee cocked his head, "D'you want it?"

"Not really..." He muttered, "I don't want to go anywhere near that fucking thing. Not yet, anyway."

"Alright then, let's go before they beep again. I'll grab it."

Dianite scowled.

"N-Not because you want to leave it; we need it back at our group. You don't have to use it if you don't want to." Lee reassured, disappearing into the shadowy room. Dianite rubbed his eyes one last time and gazed into his reflection in the puddle beneath him. Small splashes of his mother's blood littered his cheek like graffiti. Lee walked past him, the pistol stabbed firmly in his belt line. The man eyed him, questioning if he was coming or not.

He wiped the specks of blood off his face and nodded at Lee, "Let's go."

Slowly, he stepped down the slippery stairs. His eyes never left his mother's pistol, watching as it swayed with every step of Lee's well-built figure.

"What do you do? Like your job." He inquired as they walked across the bland concrete and around the dead bodies.

"I was a history teacher down in Athens. I got... laid off."

Dianite nodded, "So you're unemployed?"

"Somethin' like that, yeah..."

Nodding once again, he wisely took the hint to shut up. Lee wasn't in the mood to talk and it would be pretty hypocritical of him to badger the guy with questions. His fingers wrapped around the door handle and he pulled it open, sliding into the fabric seat. He shut it behind him. He tugged on the seatbelt and gawked as it came loose in an explosion of dust. He and Glenn shared a look as Lee slipped into the seat.

"Y-Yeah, sorry about that. This thing is about fifty years old."

"What gave it away?" Carley muttered, rolling her eyes, "The metric fuck-tonne of dust or the destroyed radio?"

Glenn's mouth was stuck open, "Yeah... You have a point..."

"I'm a reporter," She deadpanned, "That's my job."

Dianite blanked out their bickering and rested his head on the dirty window, feeling the rumbles of the cars engine course through his body. His eyelids drooped shut and soon enough he fell to sleep to the sound of the engine's loud coughing and spluttering. Faintly aware of Lee watching him like a guardian angel.

* * *

Groggily, Dianite rolled to look out the windows through his half-lidded eyes, watching as the blocks of grey whizzed past. Macon was a dump. The streets were filled with tipped cars, half-eaten bodies and toppled wooden poles. He could hear the faint whir of fizzing and bubbling electricity jumping from the fallen powerlines like stones skimming across the shiny surface of a lake. The dark of the sky was haunting to look at. Night was usually his favourite time of the day. No annoying glare blinding your television. No need for sunglasses. No noise. Everyone was sleeping

He found it relaxing to hear the sounds of a stray car or motorbike rushing past his window. Coupled with the odd shower of rain. It created a soothing environment. This, however? Was not. It was eerily quiet. The wretched smell of blood and guts wafted through his nose and he had to fight back the urge to vomit. What had happened to the world? Everything had hit the fan in just a few short hours. One moment, kids were playing football; laughing and celebrating. The next? Their intestines were being pulled out like it was a fucking pick 'n' mix. They would join the dead bodies walking around, groaning and snapping their jaws at anything alive.

They just ate and ate. Never stopping. Moving once their prey was nothing but a puddle of dried blood etched into their grisly lips. Staining their loose and baggy clothing scarlet. They all moved the same. Limping and dragging themselves. Endlessly searching for more food. Dianite swallowed the thick clump of saliva that had been building at the back of his scratchy throat. His mother was one of them. One of the dead. One of the lumbering corpses. She was no different from them. She would never stick out in a horde.

They all shared the same characteristics and features. Dead eyes, yellow nails, rotting noses and an undying hunger for more flesh. Nothing of the people they used to be was in there. That much was made clear when his mother tried to rip a chunk out of him. He grunted and blinked tiredly when Lee nudged his leg, disturbing him. He stirred and stretched.

"What is it?" He asked, "Are we here?"

"We're in the alley behind the store," Glenn supplied, rolling his window shut and turning the engine off with a worrying clunk, "A load of walkers have piled up out front. We can't go there."

"Walkers? Isn't that something grandmas use?"

Lee opened the door and stepped out the vehicle, "They move like 'em, c'mon. We should get back inside. It's not safe out here."

Dianite nodded and stepped out the car, feeling the tiny bits of gravel shift beneath his feet. He shut the door and Glenn locked the car. He played with the tips of his finger as the group of four approached the back of the drug store. Carley's finger wrapped around the handle and she pushed the door open, letting the moonlight flood through the opening. Casting their dark shadows onto the floor.

The inside of the drug store was untidy. Askew printings littered the walls and the shelves looked like a barren wasteland. A packet of crisps, an energy bar and a bottle of spring water sprinkled unevenly and sitting there. He wondered why someone hadn't already picked it clean. God knows he would've by now. He was starving.

His gaze fell to the dead walker lying on the ground next to the restrooms. A bullet hole going through the side of its head and its rotten mouth open in a voiceless scream. He grimaced. Scratches of flesh had been chewed off its arms, letting him see down to the bone. Whatever one got him when he was still alive got him good. He hated to think about how painful it would be to get devoured by one. To feel your muscles being pulled from the bone, to feel the teeth stabbing through your skin. He shivered and shunned the thoughts from his mind.

Best not to think about that. The rapid taps of footstep echoed and he raised his eyebrow in surprise as a little girl rushed past him and barreled into Lee's waiting arms. A white and faded purple that bordered on a light shade of dull blue baseball cap with a stitched on 'D' sat upon her wild bush of dark curly brown hair like a nest. Her amber eyes contained the blazes of curiosity, itching to escape as she looked at him.

Lee answered her silent question, "That's Dianite. He's gonna be sticking with us for a while," He sent a questioning look to him, "Right?"

"Yeah, yeah, I am," Dianite confirmed, crouching down and holding out his hand for the little girl to shake. He smiled when she accepted the offer, "Nice to meet ya. You are?"

"Clementine." She responded simply, letting her hand fall out the quick handshake and Dianite would be lying if he said his heart didn't almost explode at how cute she was.

"Nice hat," He absently commented, pointing at the object in question.

Clementine beamed and straightened. Her hands swung freely by her side, "Thanks. My dad gave it to me."

He ignored the feeling of jealousy that panged out his soul and smiled, "You got a better dad than me, kid. Mine left and never came back."

Clementine's eyes widened, "Oh... I'm sorry. You didn't do anything, did you?"

"I... I don't think I did, no. Why?" He cocked his head.

"I-I'm worried about my dad. What if he never comes back?"

"Hey," He placed his hand on her small shoulder, "I'm sure he's fighting tooth and nail to find you."

"A-And my mom?"

"I imagine she's doing the same." He reassured softly in an attempt to soothe the girl's worries. Clementine nodded, pools of amber averted from his coal.

A feminine voice shouting interrupted them, "Lee! What the Hell?"

His eyes darted to her. The woman had her hair tied back in a ponytail and was dressed in all black. Lee started, "Lilly-"

"No!" Lilly interrupted, "You can't just bring people back! We gotta worry about ourselves! This isn't some all you can eat buffet where everyone is welcome!"

Dianite felt Clementine shift away from him and hide behind Lee's leg nervously. He glared at the woman but stayed silent.

"Hey! Keep it down!" A Southern voice yelled from the corner, demanding all attention on him. He had a thick handlebar moustache that seemed to droop of his chin. The man whisper shouted, "We got a bunch of the fuckers waitin' outside those doors! I have my family in here and you're having a Goddamn pissin' match! What the fuck is the problem?"

"That Lee brought some stranger back with him!" Lilly hushed back, "How can we trust him?"

Dianite was done staying silent, "If it's any consolation; I don't trust you either. You're not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed by the look of things. Shouting and yelling when all it will do is bring those things outside down on top of us."

Lilly turned on him, "And what do you know?"

"That being loud is a bad idea and that you need to calm down." He seethed through gritted teeth that acted like prison bars to the flood of unpleasantries that were about to rush out his mouth. He returned Lilly's unpleasant stink eye with a stronger one of his own. He wasn't backing down from this.

Lee pushed his way back in the conversation, "Me and Kenny will deal with this, you deal with your dad."

"Just... Just get him his pills." Lilly scowled. Shaking her head and marching back to her dad. An old man with what might be the biggest jaw Dianite had ever seen. He was sat on the floor, clutching at his heart and panting heavily. Dianite watched as Lilly's hand found its way onto the old man's shoulders, resting softly as he fought for every breath. Whatever was wrong with him, he didn't have much time. His breaths were raspy and shallow.

Dianite watched as Lee shook his head mirthfully to Glenn's 'I told you so' look. Brushing away the feeling of unease at being the centre of attention, he sat on the ground with his legs crossed. The shelves jabbing into his back. It wasn't the most comfortable but it wasn't like there were any chairs to sit on. Lazily, he kept an eye on Lee, seeing him lean over into Kenny's ear and whisper something. Kenny nodded and retreated to his family.

His gaze softened upon seeing the man talk to his son. He wanted something like that. The way they would laugh at an inside joke. He wanted a family. It was the one thought that kept him sane whenever his mother would swallow a bucket of drugs. But if the world wasn't going to get any better...

What would be the point? Push through the apocalypse for what? Just to suffer again the next day?

He sighed and quelled his worries. He rested the back of his head on the shelf, flattening some of his hair on the smooth surface. His eyes slipped shut and before he could surrender himself to unconsciousness, a little "whoops" followed by the sound of falling boxes crashing to the ground made him crack an eye open.

He watched, fully alert, as Clementine fumbled to stack them back up again. Trying to hide her mistake. He grinned cheekily as she pouted at him, upset that he noticed.

"Don't worry," He reassured, "It's just some empty boxes, I won't tell."

Clementine smirked at him and brought an energy bar out of her pocket, "Didn't used to be."

He laughed, loud and exhausted.

"Kenny's watching," Clementine supplied, slipping beside him and ripping open the energy bar. She took a bite and hummed in content, "I don't know what he's doing though," She continued, the cereal and fruits from the energy bar clomping around noisily in her gob.

"Hey," He lightly scolded, "Don't speak with your mouth full, it's rude."

Clementine swallowed the contents in her mouth and smiled sheepishly, "Right, yeah, sorry."

Dianite smirked back, faintly noticing Lee go out the front door. His brow creased. Wasn't there a horde gathered out there?

"This place is kinda cool," Clementine said suddenly, pushing the empty wrapper behind the shelf. Hiding it. "There's a locked fence-cage thing outside. So they can't get in. And we've got wooden windows."

"Barricades." He corrected.

Clementine murmured to him anxiously, "D'you think they'll hold?"

He tilted his head, analysing the wooden boards. They were nailed down but the wood wasn't very strong by the looks of things. If the horde outside descended on them they wouldn't hold for long, "I hope." He finally answered.

The little girl nodded, accepting of his answer. Her amber orbs darted to Kenny, who looked away instantly. She frowned, something that Dianite picked up on.

"What?" He asked.

"Kenny. He's acting... off..."

Dianite looked over at the moustached man and raised an eyebrow. Kenny sighed and slumped. He muttered a few words to his wife and walked over, resting one of his hairy arms on the desk.

"What is it?" Kenny inquired.

Dianite smirked, "Were you watching us?"

Kenny looked at the ground and rubbed the back of his neck, "Yeah... Lee told me to keep an eye on you. Only to placate Lilly though. She ain't havin' any of it."

Frowning, Dianite looked over at Lilly, "I don't get her."

Kenny sighed, "Me neither, kid. One moment she's fine, if not a bit bossy. Then the next she's actin' like a total bitch," His eyes widened at Clementine's disapproving look, "Sorry, Clem."

The front doors swung open, Lee and who was probably the nerdiest guy that Dianite had ever laid eyes on, bolted through. Lee had the rings of keys firmly clutched within the cage of his fingers. Using his thumb, he pushed one of the keys on the chain out, showing them very clearly to Lilly. Her eyes widened as she ran over, coming to a stop in front of Lee.

"Where'd you get them?"

"Outside."

" _Outside-"_

"Doug distracted them while I got the keys." Lee assured, "We do have to hurry though. That padlock is busted."

Lilly turned heel and dashed for the office door, "What are we waiting for then? Let's go!"

Lee didn't answer but followed the lady out of the room.

"Well... Shit. He did it," Kenny commented offhandedly, impressed. "We should probably prepare to leave. This place wasn't safe before and it sure ain't now. Not without that lock. You got everythin', Clementine?"

"Uh-huh," She responded, "I got my walkie."

"Good," Kenny nodded, "An' you? You got everythin'?"

Dianite snorted, "I didn't have anything in the first place."

"Right-"

The deafening shrill cries of the alarm shrieked and cut him off. The noise flooded everything and the distinct groans of the walkers outside increased.

"Shit! That’s like a damn dinner bell!" Kenny roared, running off into the office, "Lee! Shut that fuckin' thing off!"

"I'm trying!" Lee shouted back.

Dianite stood to his feet, his heart rate was beating rapidly. He could hear it drumming through his body, shaking. His eyes darted to the flimsy wooden boards. He lowered his hand in front of Clementine and backed off slowly. A low buzz coursed through the walls and the building plummeted into darkness, the alarm stopping. The power was cut.

His eyes fell to the rushed fortifications with bated breaths, praying for nothing to happen. He noticed Clementine's hand wrap tightly around his wrist. Everything was silent. No-one moved. All watching. Then the first smack, followed by another. The boards bent and creaked, unfathomable amounts of weight pushing up against them.

It was too late. The horde had descended upon them like a plague of rats. The doors rattled, nearly breaking off their hinges. The sea of groans outside increased tenfold as beams of moonlight stabbed through the recently made tears in the plank barricades. Doug and Carley ran past him, pushing their shoulders up against the door. They gritted their teeth as undead hands snuck through the gap in the doors, scraping away at the paint.

Lee hurried over and with one mighty axe swing, carved through them all, making the limbs fall to the ground in a shower of black blood. He closed the gap in the door in the door and fell against it, helping the other two keep it closed.

"Hey, Lee. I'm gonna need that axe in case I run into any of those undead fuckers on the way to my truck."

"Really, man? This doesn't seem more important? If any of these guys break in then what? I speak to them? I calm them down and talk things through?"

"C'mon! I'm goin' out there! Dianite?"

Kenny's voice rang through his ears, disturbing him from his terrified trance. "H-huh?"

"The axe," Kenny repeated, "Me or Lee?"

"I-I dunno-" He stammered, eyes darting between them. He stopped and looked at Kenny, "You."

Lee's lips went into a straight line, firm and sharp. Wisps of disappointment playing at the corners of his mouth.

"I-I'm sorry, man. But we can hold this place down while he gets the truck started."

Lee sighed, "Right, right, and you?"

"I just said, I'm not going anywhere."

Huffing, Lee tossed the axe to Kenny. The moustached man nodded his thanks, grabbed Duck by the hand and hurried out the store and into the alleyway. The doors bucked and in the brief flash of vision that Dianite got, he could see the walker's soulless eyes. The blood running over their gums. The flesh stuck between their teeth like corn. The patches of thin and moulting hair. They were hellish in appearance. Stifling his nerves he sprinted over to the recently broken window.

Confused on how to combat the walker clawing its way through the tiny gap, he staggered. He looked desperately until his gaze fell onto the shelves. He pulled on it, placing his foot on it and with a hefty tug a shelf came loose. He turned, the walker was nearly on him. He brought the makeshift weapon back and swung it. Catching the shambling corpse in the lower jaw. He recoiled in disgust as the tendons and muscle snapped, making the now lopsided jaw swing loosely.

He prepared another hit and this time the walker fell, the shelf breaking at the same time. The walker still wasn't dead and it groaned weakly. Dianite sighed and then took notice of what he was wearing. A pair of steel studded combat boots. With a sickening crunch, his boot fell on its head, crushing it and scattering bits of its brain across and in the gaps of the tiled floor. Lee's voice called out to Clementine, thundering across the drug store.

"Find something to jam the door with!"

Dianite decided it would be a better use of his time to help Clementine find something than stand and watch as they struggled to keep the door closed. It was too small to fit another person in. He rounded around a low desk and searched under it, finding nothing but a couple of old newspaper and a fallen pencil. Useless. He stood and more planks crashed to the ground, sending shards of glass in every direction.

He flinched as one embedded itself into his arm. Grimacing, he pulled the shard out as Doug sprinted past him, holding back a window full of walkers. Carley ran to another window, shooting at them as they entered. Clementine came sprinting out of the office, a dusty cane in her little hands. She handed it to Lee who quickly pushed the object through the handles. He took a hesitant step back and watched as the old cane held the door shut.

Two screams erupted. One female, one male. Carley and Doug. Dianite wanted to slap himself. He was too busy focusing on Lee to warn either one of them about how close the walkers were.

"Get Carley! I'll get Doug." He called out. Lee nodded and made a beeline to Carley. Dianite turned around and sprinted to Doug. He brushed his hand across the floor and picked up a shard of glass. He trusted it forward and over Doug's shoulder, catching the walker that was about to take a chunk out of him in the eye. He grabbed Doug by the shoulders and pulled him forward, dragging a walker in with them. Unable to react, the walker fell on him.

His feet were planted under its chest but he couldn't muster the strength to kick it off. Doug's arm wrapped around its neck and he pulled it off, throwing the walker at the wall. Dianite jumped to his feet as the walker sprawled. He nodded a thanks to Doug and they both dashed through the door that Larry was holding open. Clementine and Carley right behind them.

Outside, the air was fresher than the metallic smell and horrific odour of the walkers. He breathed deep and heavy, resting his hands on his knees. That was intense. He straightened and began to walk away, faltering when he realised he didn't know where Lee was. His neck snapped back to look at the door.

However, as Lee approached it and before anyone could react, Larry reared his fist back and let it fly, hitting Lee in the nose. Sending the man crashing to the ground. Clementine screamed and Larry glared at the fallen man, backing out the door frame. Kenny barreled past them, bloody axe in hand.

"What the fuck!" Dianite screamed, getting in Larry's face, "After all he's done for you, you leave him for them! He didn't have to get those pills! I sure as shit wish he didn't!"

Larry's nose crunched and the man's eyes hardened, he sneered, "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Like Hell I do! I know you tried to kill a man!"

Larry went to open his mouth but he bit his tongue. Instead choosing to growl under his breath and march away toward Kenny's truck. Dianite glowered after him, watching his large form lug away around the corner. His gaze softened as Lee and Kenny emerged from the drug store. Lee's nose was broken. Blood gushing out his nostrils and dripping off his chin.

"You okay?" He asked.

Lee nodded halfheartedly and looked behind him. The drugstore was flooded with slow-moving dead bodies and the smell was horrid and foul. His eyes flashed with sadness. The sadness of loss, "I'm okay, not my first scrap."

Kenny frowned and slammed the pale blue door shut. He backed away from it, "That won't hold for long, we need to get outta here."

Glenn nodded, "Kenny can take Doug and go in his truck, us five can take my car."

"That's the plan?" Carley asked, taking a new clip out of her purse and slamming it into the empty magazine slot. She cocked it.

"As best as we'll get," Kenny confirmed, startling as the door shook. He adjusted the weight of the axe, "I don't have any more room. Doug and that old bastard took the last couple of spots."

"Alright," Glenn agreed as the door banged, "I'll meet you and the others at the Motor Inn."

Dianite nodded. He didn't want to go back but they had nowhere else to meet up. The others all ran ahead and not seeing much choice he followed as Glenn lead them down a different route in the alley. Kenny going the other.

Walkers spilt through the now open door, tripping over each other and drowning the back of the alley with their raspy groans and decomposing bodies.

In conclusion, he thought as he ran past a dumpster filled to the brim with discarded newspapers and soggy cardboard boxes; hearing Carley shoot a walker, today might just be the worse day of his life.


End file.
